Buying guide: judging everyday electronics on specifications

Power: watts, not adjectives

For chargers and power banks, look for the output in watts per port and whether that total is shared when several ports are used at once. 'Fast charging' on its own tells you nothing.

Match the charging standard your device actually supports. A higher-wattage charger is safe, but it will not exceed what the device requests.

Cables and connectors

Check the connector type at both ends, the cable length, and for USB-C whether the cable supports data as well as charging. Many bundled cables are charge-only.

Battery life and how it is measured

Quoted battery hours depend on volume, brightness or feature settings. Treat the figure as a ceiling and note the conditions the maker used, if they publish them.

Support and updates

For anything with firmware or an app, check whether updates are still being published and which phone operating system versions are supported. Software support often ends before hardware does.